Kneeling bench



Sept. 13, 1932. J. SIL-VERMAN KNEELING BENCH Filed Nov. 4, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 13, 1932.

J. s lLvERMAN KNEELING BENCH Filed Nov. 4, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 13, 1932 e c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE .Iosnrn SILVERMAN, or oircAGo,gILLrNoIs `\{1\T2E E1'.|ING BENCH Application'led November-4, 1929. Serial No. 404,588.

This invention relates to kneeling benches, .toithereby becomediiiicult to stack or store such as those commonly usedinreligious and away. Y Y other ceremonials. .Other objects and advantagesof my inven- In different forms of religious Worship, and tion will be apparent to those skilled in the in other ceremonials of religious import, it is art after a consideration of the following de- 5 usual to provide some sort offbench or other tailed description, taken in conjunction with.` support upon which the participant may the vaccompanying drawings, in which: kneel, and these benches usually .provide a Fig. yl is a front elevation showing the cushion or other support, not only one upon kneeling bench in extended and operativel po- :U which the participant may kneel but also one StiOn; 60 upon which he may rest his arms. Fig. 2 is a cross section taken approximate-- Heretofore such benches have been a part ly on the line 2 2 of Fig. l showing, however, of the permanent furniture of the church or certain parts in elevation; other organization, and the benches have, Fig. l 3 is affront elevation showing the 5 therefore, been rather heavy vand not easily kneeling rbench upright butin folded or col- 65 adapted to be moved from place to place. lapsed position; and

Occasionally, however, there arises situ- Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation showing ations where it is desirable to temporarily set certain parts as broken away. up kneeling benches to be used for only a Referring to the drawings, the reference ,u comparatively short time. For example, at numeral 1 indicates the frame of my kneelfV v70 wakes or funeral ceremonies it `may be desiring bench and which is seen. to comprise the v able to provide kneeling benches for temtwo uprights 2 and 3 and thetop horizonporary use. Sometimes at marriages it is detal member 4. The frame is reinforced and sirable or necessary to provide kneeling strengthened by the transverse members y5, 6,

.Z5 benches for use during certain portions of the and 7, secured to the upright members 2 and-` 7 ceremony. Also, certain church services 3 'asby riveting or welding or the like.' These sometimes require the addition of temporary frame members are preferably formed lof kneeling benches to the regular altar equipsheet metal of the proper gauge Ihaving ment, such as, for example, requiem mass rolled edges,l as shown in Figures 2 and 4.

30 where the altar services are considerably aug- The bottoms Aof the upright vmembers'2 and mented. 3 are provided with foot portions in the It is one object, therefore, of my invention form of rubberl tips 9which serve, not only to provide a kneeling bench adapted particuto prevent the frame from slipping but also larly for temporary useand which is so art0 pl'eVl the bench from millflg V@my S111'- 35 ranged and constructed that it may be folded vface upon which` it may be placed. 85 so as to occupy a small space when not in use. The armv rest 12 includes l aA substantially Another object of my invention is to provide, rectangular frame 13 pivoted to the frame in a folding or collapsible kneeling bench, l by means of hinges 14, andthe hingesr 14 structure adapting the bench when extended may-be secured to the frame 1 in any 'del@ into operative position tobe sturdy and rigid. siredrmanner, as by screwsU 15. i The padded 90 A still further obj ect of my invention is member 16 of the arm rest 12 is providedwith the provision of akneeling bench wherein the a base 17 which is fastened to the rectangucollapsible parts are adapted to be folded in' lar frame 13 by means of clips 18,. The clips between the frame members so that vthe bench 18 may benweld-ed or otherwise secured to i5 may occupy the minimum of space. vA furthe frame 13 andthey maybe secured to the g5 ther object of `my invention isA to provide base 17 by means of screws 19. means for limiting the folding movement of The arm rest 12 is adapted to be heldin the collapsible parts so that the bench, when extended and operative position by meansof collapsed into yinoperative position, is not ya toggle brace 21, the component members 50 likely to accidentally become extended soas of which are pivoted respectively vto the i1-oo frame 13 land to the frame 1, as shown best in Fig. 2. The adjacent ends of the parts 22 and 23 are pivoted together, as at 25, and each adjacent end is provided with an abutment 27 struck from each of the parts and in such a manner that these abutments 27 engage one another just beyond the dead center position of the toggle brace 21. The toggle brace 21 is adapted to rigidly hold the arm rest 12in extended position, as shown in Figure 2, but when the toggle is broken the parts 22 and 23 break upwardly to al- -low the arm rest 12 to pivot downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4. It will'be noted that in its collapsed position the rest 12 lies substantially between the upright members 2 and 3. The transverse member 5 acts as means to limit the downward pivoting of the arm rest 12.

The knee rest 30 is formed quite similarly to the arm rest 12 and is seen to consist of a padded cushion-like member 31 secured, as by clips 33, to the frame 35 in substantially the same manner that the padded member 16 is secured to the rectangular frame 13, described above. The frame 35 of the knee rest 30 is rectangular in shape, like the frame 13 of the arm rest 12, but is somewhat wider so as to space the member 31 a proper distance from the frame 1. The frame 35 is pivoted to the frame 1 preferably by nieansof headed pivots 36, the frame 35 being spaced the proper distance from the upright members 2 and 3 by means of washers 37, see Fig. 3.

The frame 35, like the frame 13, is interconnected with the frame 1 by means of toggle brace means 40, the component parts 41 and 42 of which are respectively pivoted to the frame 1 and to the frame 35. rlhe toggle means is adapted to be broken so as to allow the knee rest 30 to be swung upwardly to a. collapsed position, substantially between the upright members. 2 and 3, as shown in Fig. 4. The transverse member `6 serves'to limit the upward pivoting of the knee rest 30, as is clear from Fig. 4.

In order to support the bench in an upright position I provide the knee rest 30 with a pivoted bracket or supporting member 45 having curved foot members 46 and 47. 'Ihe ends of the supporting member 45 are pivoted to the frame 35 by means of pivots passing through the frame 35 and the member 45. The member 45 is properly spaced relative to the frame 35 by means of washers 51. l

1 The supporting member 45 is also adapted f fitobe "collapsedand to ytake' a' position within semi com

the'v frame/member 35y adjacent the"cushion` member 31,*'see'Figz TlielmeaiisI/fhavejf' provided for Avmaintain'ing y/the 'supportingV l"member 545 `in extended 1 position comprises if z a; toggle 1brace'l 55 foff "subs'ta'ntially'E the same form as,Jj and goperative i'n the same manner" as, the toggle braces 21 and 42 which have been described in detail above. Vhen the toggle brace is broken inwardly, see Fig. 2, the supporting member 45 may be swung upwardly, relative to the frame 35, so that when the knee rest 30 is folded into collapsed position the whole occupies 'a relatively small space between the upright members 2 and 3.

While I have shown the frame members 1, 13 and 35 as being formed of sheet metal, Vwhereby great lightness and strength is obtained, it is obvious that these frames may be formed of wood or any other desired and suitable material.

The principal and essential aspect of the present invention is the collapsibility of a structure of this sort so that the required number of kneeling benches may be easily transported and setl up wherever they may be required and may at the same time be conveniently folded and compactly stacked away when not in use.

While I have described in connection with the accompanying drawings the specific form in which I prefer to embody my invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific means which I have herein shown and described, and that, in fact, widely different means may be employed in the practice of the broader aspects of my invention. Y

What I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A collapsible kneeling bench comprising a frame including transverse bracing members, an arm rest and a knee rest pivoted to said frame, separate means connected to the frame and to the arm rest and the knee rest respectively to hold the rests in eX- tended position, said connecting means being operable to permit said rests to be swung to inoperative position inwardly toward the frame, said transverse frame members limiting the swinging of said rests past an aligned position with respect to said frame.

2. A collapsible kneeling bench comprising a frame having foot portions, an arm rest and a knee rest including frame and padded supports mounted thereon, said rests being pivoted to said frame, means connecting the arm rest and the knee rest to the frame to hold the rests in extended position,

saidl connecting means being. operable to permit said rests to be swung to inoperative position against'the frame, and a collapsible supporting member carried by the frame of one of said rests and adapted to cooperate with said foot port-ions to form supports for V'tliebenc'lrto maintain thel bench in upright position' when1`slaid"'rests f are extended:

' 3i 'A collapsible lmeeling bench `,comprising a' frame* 'including `side members, anar-m yrest anjd a knee rest, )each 'comprising ayframe *and a padded support "securedther'eto,"A means Y .'1

pivoting each of said last mentioned frames to the frame of the bench, toggle means connecting each of said rest frames to the frame of the bench and operative at will to independently hold the respective rests in extended position and to allow them to be collapsed to a position adjacent the frame of the bench, and transverse members on the frame to limit the pivotal movement of said frames in one direction.

4. A collapsible kneeling bench comprising a frame including upright members, an arm rest and' a knee rest, each comprising a frame and a padded support secured thereto, means pivoting each of said last mentioned frames to the frame of the bench, toggle means connecting each of said rest frames to the frame of the bench and operative at will to independently hold the respective rests in extended position and to allow them to be collapsed to a position adjacent the frame of the bench, transverse members on the frame to limit the pivotal movement of said frames in onedirection, and collapsible means on the frame of the knee rest to cooperate with the frame of the bench to support the latter.

5. A collapsible kneeling bench comprising a frame having foot portions, an arm rest and a knee rest comprising frames and padded supports, each of said rests being pivoted to said frame, means connecting the arm rest and the knee rest to the Jframe to hold the rests in extended position, said connecting means being operable to permit said rests to be swung to inoperative position against the frame, means carried o-n the frame of one of said rests and adapted to cooperate with said foot portion to form supports for the bench to maintain the bench upright when said rests are extended, and means connected between the frame of said last mentioned rest and said support-forming means to hold said means f in supporting position relative to said frame.

6. A collapsible kneeling bench comprising a frame including side members and an intermediate transverse member, an arm rest, a. knee rest, means pivoting said arm rest about said transverse member, means pivoting said knee rest between said side members, said pivoting means permitting said rests to swing outwardly of the frame away from each other when extended into operative position, and toggle means holding said rests in extended position.

7. A collapsible kneeling bench comprising a frame including parallel side members and an intermediate transverse member, an arm rest, a knee rest, means pivoting said arm rest about said transverse member, means pivoting said knee rest between said side members, said pivoting means permitting said rests to swing outwardly ofthe frame awa-y from each other when extended into operative position, and means rigidly secur- 

